Did You Hear About the Torrances?
by sentviaLondonInstitute
Summary: Violet Torrance is a 14 year old girl that really doesn't want to spend five months in a dusty old hotel. Alas, fate is never so kind. And that dusty old hotel isn't too keen on her either.
1. Chapter 1

_This is a brand new first chapter. After changing the point of view to this like the rest of the story, I decided to scrap it and just rewrite it. Hope you enjoy. (This one is also much longer than the original. I've put in some backstory content from the book.)_

Violet Torrance sat by herself in her room. She lay on the bottom bed on a set of bunks. Her kid brother Danny got the top one. The room was covered in stickers, picture books, and toys. In fact, it was probably a jump even calling it her room. Really, it was Danny's.

But then again, everything was Danny's. That's just how it was. Sure, Violet had all she needed, and she knew the family couldn't afford much, but sleeping on a bottom bunk at 16 years old? That's pretty sad.

Her father, born John Daniel Torrance, but known as Jack, was out of town. He was at some hotel in the mountains of Colorado. The Over-something. He was applying for a job as a caretaker in the hotel's off season.

The only reason he was there was because of his friend

(drinking buddy)

Al Shockley. Al was a fine enough guy, and he got on with Jack like a house on fire. They used to go out every Saturday night, drinking until all the bars were closed. Jack would stumble in at three in the morning and Violet, being a light sleeper, would get woken up.

They sure were a formidable pair. But Violet loved her dad anyway, even if he was a recovering alcoholic.

Jack used to work at a high school, Stovington Prep. He was forced to resign. No one would tell Violet what happened, but some of her friends there said he assaulted some popular kid named George.

The first thing Violet thought was that he must be drunk. He wasn't. Somehow, that scared her even more. Her dad didn't have to be drunk to beat someone up.

But he was trying to get a job that Al put in a good word for, and Violet appreciated him trying. Maybe they needed some time away from this cramped little house. Maybe they all needed space.

Her mother, Wendy, was no better. She loved Violet when she grew up, but there was some thing about Danny that seemed to demand all her love and affection. Wendy, who knew her marriage was slowly failing, couldn't leave her husband. Not when he would come home drunk with Al Shockley, not when he would get angry and yell at her, not even when she broke Danny's arm after he raged out.

Thinking back on it, Violet supposed she was like her mother in that way. As a kid, she was used to avoiding her dad whenever he was drunk. She would hide all her toys when he was angry so he couldn't break them. If he hit her, she had a first aid kit under her mattress, with a small pocket knife beside it. She constantly lived in fear, yet for some unexplainable reason, she loved him to death. More than she loved her mom. Maybe more than her mom loved him.

She was sitting at her desk with blotches of color covering her bare arms. Violet was an art enthusiast; almost all of her possessions were somehow related to art. Her drawers were filled with sketching pencils, color pencils, pastels, watercolor paints, acrylics, and the list went on. She had boxes up in the loft that were filled with sketch books that she had used over the years. At the moment she was making a painting for her dad. He had asked her to make a cover for his play that he was working on, The Little School. She had her watercolour paint set out in front of her, with a jar filled with murky water, newspaper to wipe her brushes and the half finished thick sheet of paper with a big graduation cap painted on it. She was just finished with the background, and was about to get her illustrating pens out for the title and author when there was the sound of a car.

She wiped her hands and set off down the hallway in socked feet. Violet could hear Danny squealing in excitement and greeting Jack.

She slid out the door before her mom noticed and walked down the concrete path. "Hey, dad! How was the interview?" He glanced up at her and grinned.

"Oh, you know, I won them all over with the Torrance charm and wit. I got the job, sweetie!" He pulled Danny away and walked over to hug Violet instead. Violet leaned into his 'dad' scent, one that was thankfully free of alcohol. It had almost become a nervous habit to sniff for alcohol whenever he came home. It was a habit she knew Wendy did also.

"Violet, get those socks off the concrete!" It was her mom. "I only just bought those, and they'll be getting holes in them already!"

Jack laughed. "Calm down, babe, she just wanted to greet her daddy-o after a long day. I'm sure we can cough up the money for a new pair of socks." Violet squeezes him one last time and released herself from the hug.

She pointedly peeled her socks off and tiptoed back inside. Everyone else followed her in. Wendy put the kettle on to boil and started preparing coffee for her and Jack.

"Oh, hey Dad, I'm almost done with your play cover."

"Well I better have a look now, make sure you're doin' in right."

Jack set off down the hallway to Violet's room and she ran after him. "No, Dad, it's a surprise, you have to wait 'til I'm done!" She overtook him and they faced off in her doorway, wiggling their eyebrows at each other in a mock stand off.

Jack curled his face into a snarl, "I'm afraid there ain't enough room in this doorway for the both o' us." He reached for his imaginary gun, but at the last minute leapt onto Violet and started tickling her sides.

While she was distracted, he ran up to the picture and snuck a glance. "It's great, Vi. I love it. You'll be an artist someday, you know that?"

She sat up, hair a mess, and sighed. "When your play gets published I will be." He grinned and ruffled her hair even more as he walked out.

"Better get packing, Vi, because we're going to the Overlook!" She smiled at his shadow disappearing down the hallway.

Closing Day

The Torrance family sat in the battered VW as Jack cruised it around the mountain edge. The engine seemed to be protesting the steep incline, and Violet could tell by the way Wendy wrung her hands in her lap that she was really nervous. She tried to make conversation in the quiet car. "Say, wasn't this the area where the Donner party got stranded?"

Jack shook his head, but kept his eyes on the road. "Nah, that was further west. In the Sierra Nevada."

Danny leaned forward behind his parents, listening in to the conversation. "What's the Donner party?"

Violet, who was a stickler for dramatic news stories, decided it was her chance to pipe up. "It was a group of hikers who got snowbound. They had to resort to cannibalism to survive."

"That's right," Jack said, "they were gonna starve so they ate each other up instead!" He wiggled his eyebrows in the rear view mirror at Danny, who had a shocked expression.

"They ate each other up?" he repeated, voice going up in octave in amazement.

Wendy, who started the conversation, felt it was getting too dark for her little five year old. "Now, let's not talk about that. What's the hotel like, Jack?"

"You'll see in a minute for yourself, it's really great. Massive kitchen, big old hedge maze on one side, beautiful view. Loads of places for Danny to explore, hey?"

Danny put up a smile, but Violet knew it was fake. She was always worried about Danny. He was intuitive; he seemed to always know what everyone was feeling or thinking, and sometimes he knew things no one ever told him, sometimes things that hadn't even happened yet. Wendy said he was just clever. Violet wasn't so sure.

Finally, the asphalt turned to gravel, and they were pulling up the wide driveway that led to the Overlook. The VW put-putted along and slowed to a halt at one of the front parking spaces. There were only about five or six cars left, one of them the company limousine that would drop all the staff and remaining guests at the nearest airport.

Violet hopped out first, eager to stretch her legs after the long drive. Jack got out next and opened the boot to take out the suitcases and bags. Wendy and Danny left to go find Danny a bathroom.

A short, fat gentlemen approached he two remaining Torrances. His shiny badge pinned to his lapel read "Mr Ullman MGR". He frowned at Jack and nodded his head at Violet.

"Well, Mr Torrance, I must say, I was expecting you more around three." He seemed displeased that the new caretaker was early.

"Just wanted to give some extra time in case the old bug broke down."

Mr Ullman frowned even harder at the car. He looked up to another car in the lot, an expensive, shiny Prius that was clearly his. "Come inside, then. I'll give you a tour." He turned back to them, noticing Violet again. "Where's the girl going?"

Violet furrowed her brows. How rude. "My name is Violet, Mr Ullman, and if it's okay by you, I'd love to join the tour." Mr Ullman huffed and walked inside, not looking back to check they were following.

Jack high-fived Violet and grinned at her. "Officious little prick, isn't he?"

"Sure is."

Halfway through the excruciatingly boring tour, Jack spotted Wendy and Danny wandering around one of the hallways. He called out, amd they came over. Mr Ullman seemed even more disgruntled that two more family members had joined.

He led them to the kitchen, and made some excuse about 'guests needing the help of an official' and left.

The four of them stood in the kitchen, which looked like if went on forever, it was so big. Jack didn't know whether to wait for someone to come or call out. Before he could decide, a voice piped up behind them. "Hey family! You here for the caretaker job?"

Violet, Danny and Wendy whirled around. Jack turned more slowly. "That's right. Are you the cook?"

"That I am, sir, that I am." The man was tall, with dark skin and white teeth. He had a short crop of hair that was turning gray at the temples. He had a friendly smile on his face, one that was contagious, and Violet couldn't help but smile back. "I'm Mr Halloran, and I'd love to show you folks 'round my kitchen. It's big, sure, but that means it has everything you'll ever need. Are the two littlies staying up here for the whole off season?"

Wendy nodded, and put a hand on Danny's head. "They are, sir. Almost like a family vacation, don't you think?"

Mr Ullman frowned. "Oh, I don't know, the winters can be awful harsh if you ain't used to them. Don't you two want to come hang out with me in sunny California, catchin' fish and gettin' a tan?"

While Wendy answered, Mr Halloran turned to Violet and Danny. You sure you don't want to come stay with me for the winter? It ain't safe here for children. Violet recoiled. She heard him, clear as day, yet his mouth didn't move at all, and it didn't seem like anyone else heard, except Danny.

(What's going on?)

He smiled at her. You're shining on, that's what. You have the shine, and your brother has it, and so do I. That's why you shouldn't be here. He turned back to Wendy, said something back to her and started showing her around the expansive kitchen.

(I don't understand. Mr Halloran, why isn't it safe?)

The hotel shines too. And some bad things have happened here.

(Bad things happen everywhere. How is that dangerous?)

It ain't. But I don't want Danny to see the things I've seen here. You neither. He turned to Danny for a moment, and Danny gave him his full attention. They were talking now. Violet assumed Mr Halloran was telling him the same thing he told her.

Wendy had finally stopped cooing over the kitchen and all the food inside and thanked Mr Halloran. He smiled at her and just as they were about to leave, Mr Halloran piped up.

"Hey, you don't say this young girl could help me bring out my bags while you three finish the tour? I'm an old man. It gets harder every year." Jack nodded and pulled Wendy and Danny out with him into the hallway and around the corner, Danny waving goodbye to her.

The walk to his car was silent. Violet wanted to talk to him, but every time she went to say something, someone would come bustling around the corner before she got the chance.

Finally, they arrived at his car.

"Mr Halloran?"

"Please, call me Dick."

"Okay, Dick, what's really up with this hotel, and the shine you were talking about?"

"Violet,

(although she didn't recall anyone telling him her name)

when I was a little boy, my grandmother and I would have whole conversations without ever opening our mouths. She called it the shining. Now the shining also lets you see things. You ever see things that ain't real?" Violet nodded. "Things that happened before they ever did?" She nodded again. "That's why this hotel ain't safe. It has a lot of bad history. Now, I've working in many kitchens all over America, and I ain't ever had trouble. But ever since I started working here I've seen things. Violent things. Things you wouldn't want a five year to ever see. You understand?"

"I get it. But you said they aren't dangerous."

"I don't think they are. They've never once hurt me. But Danny, he shines like nothing I ever seen. And I'm just not sure. If you stay here, swear to me you'll look after him?"

"Of course. I swear. He's my little brother. I'll protect him with my life."

"And just as well for that. You see, his parents won't understand. His Ma only shines a little, like all mothers shine. And his daddy…well, to tell you the truth I ain't too sure whether your daddy shines or not. But if Danny sees something, his parents won't know what's happening like you do. Take care of the little fella." And with that he opened his car door and sat inside.

He started up the car, but with a final thought, turned back to Violet. "If anything does happen, and I ain't saying it will, just think real hard at me. Who knows, I might hear it all the way in California. Get Danny to holler real loud too."

"I will." He nodded and backed the car out of his park, turned the car around, and left.

All of a sudden the place felt a lot more lonely.


	2. Chapter 2

Wendy had booked a doctor appointment for all four of them down in the closest city, Sidewinder. She said there was a doctor there who would make sure they were adapting to the isolation of the Overlook. There was also the added worry of Danny.

Jack, while repairing the shingles on the west end of the hotel, had discovered a wasp nest. He bug bombed it and once it was clear, gave it to Danny. Apparently he used to keep an empty wasp nest in his room when he was a kid, so Danny could do the same.

But somehow the bomb didn't work. There were wasps in the nest that came out and stung Danny, over ten times. Violet also got stung killing them all.

Jack was planning on suing the makers of the bug bomb, but for now Danny and Violet would have to get some antihistamines and deal.

The clinic was quite small. The waiting room had benches that were too narrow, magazines that were decades old, and a minimal collection of broken plastic toys. Violet jiggled her foot while she waited, gaining a disapproving glare from her mother. Danny was in there now, having something called an EEG to find out if he was crazy. Wendy was worried about his invisible friend Tony, and the stuff that Tony told or showed him.

Eventually Danny came running out and told Violet that it was her turn.

She gingerly opened the door. The doctor waved her in, so she shut the door behind her and took a seat.

He introduced himself as Dr Edmonds, but instructed her to call him Bill. He looked friendly, but not the genuine friendly, the 'I'm being paid to be friendly' kind, like substitute teachers and child psychiatrists.

"So do we have anything we need to discuss?"

"I'm not potentially crazy, if that's what you're asking. I don't have a Tony."

He smiled. "That wasn't what I was asking, but thank you for clarifying. Let's just cover some basic questions. Are you sexually active?"

Violet frowned. "With who? No, I'm not. Never have been."

"Has being at the Overlook affected your mood in any way? Your eating habits? Your sleep cycle?"

She paused. She didn't know whether to be honest. She didn't want added stress on the family, but it would be nice to tell someone how she felt. "Kind of. I can't really sleep."

"Why not?"

"I have nightmares. I see nasty things. Elevators full of blood and people drowning in bathtubs. I'm too scared to sleep now."

"Almost like Danny's visions, wouldn't you say?"

"I wouldn't say. I'm not like Danny, I'm not crazy."

"Do you consider him crazy?"

"I mean, there's something not right about him. One time he gave me his last cookie and told me it was because I was 'on the rag'. No one has ever mentioned periods to him. And we certainly wouldn't use that phrasing if we did. Besides that, I didn't even know I was on my period until I went to the bathroom and saw."

"Interesting. And you don't group yourself with him in that way?"

She frowned again. "God, no. I can't tell the future or whatever he does. Although… It's silly, really…"

"Go on. You can tell me."

"Sometimes… Sometimes I know things. I haven't been shown or told or taught I just know. It's stuff there's no way I could know but I do."

"Like what?" He leaned in closer to her. Violet concentrated for a moment.

"Your wife has the flu. She doesn't want to tell you because you always make a big fuss out of it."

"I'm not sure what you-"

"Call her."

He paused, and rolled over to a telephone. He dialled, and started talking to his wife. "…yeah, I will. Listen honey, you've been different lately. Are you sick?" He went pale. "No it's okay, just take some aspirin and you'll be fine. Bye, honey, I love you." He hung up and swivelled back to Violet. She was smirking at him.

"Don't tell anyone I can do that. I've never told anyone else, not even my family."

"Okay," he muttered weakly. He was silent while he did the rest of the checkups.

When he gave the all-go, she left and he went outside to talk to Jack and Wendy.

Violet couldn't hear well, but she picked up some words like 'extremely perceptive' and 'intelligent kids'.

She couldn't help but regret telling Dr Edmonds. She could be blabbing right now, and then they'd think she was a freak. Like they thought Danny was a freak.

Violet put the finishing touches on her artwork, and held it up to the light. It was the cover for the play her dad was working on, and she couldn't wait to show him.

She blew off some pencil dust and left the confines of her room to go find him. She could hear the clacking keys of his typewriter. They would burst to life for thirty seconds, then be silent as he read over it and thought more. He was making a lot of headway, and both Violet and her mother Wendy were pleased.

She entered the huge room where he was hunched at his desk, typing. Violet looked down at the cover. It was a graduation cap lying on a desk, with bold black letters THE LITTLE SCHOOL up top and down the bottom B E.

She had spent hours, devising, sketching outlines, and actually painting the cover and now he would finally see the finished product.

"Dad! Guess what?" She ran over to him and waited for his response.

It didn't come.

"Dad? I'm finished the cover!"

He sighed, and lifted his gaze from his typewriter. He raised his eyebrows.

He seemed really grouchy. Violet couldn't help but remember her sneaking around him whenever he was angry when she was a kid, scared he'd hit her.

He looked drunk, in fact he looked absolutely trashed, like when he'd come home in the morning with Al Shockley, except there wasn't a hint of alcohol on his breath.

Rather than saying anything to potentially anger him, she out the cover down beside him and went to leave. It was best to give him space when he was grumpy.

"What the fuck is this?"

His voice shocked her, and she stood stock still. Slowly she turned around. Jack was glaring at the cover, lip raised in a snarl.

"The cover?" Her voice was embarrassingly high and weak, and she cleared her throat.

"Don't be a smart-ass, girl, what the hell kind of cover is this?" She looked at the cover again, half-expecting it had changed into something silly, but it was the same cover she had painted. "This isn't preschool. You aren't fingerpainting a damn cover for my play!"

"You saw it ages ago, Dad! When it didn't have the title on it, and you said it looked great!" She knew she should've backed down, but part of her was sick of this side of him. The side that always got his way whenever he raised his voice.

"Are you calling me a fucking liar?"

"Jesus, Dad, no, I'm just-"

"Do you know how long this play is taking me? How much work is going into this? This is my game changer, this will make me famous and you make this?"

"Well the cover took me ages too, Dad! I wanted to make you happy! I spent hours alone just trying to-"

"DON'T YOU FUCKING TALKING BACK TO ME YOU LITTLE BITCH!"

Violet yelped and started backing away. She hoped someone heard his shout and would come to help, because he looked furious, and she was scared he would hurt her.

"I'm sorry Dad, I didn't mean to talk back. I swear, I'm so sorry, it's just that-"

Then he leapt out of his chair and shoved her, hard.

Not expecting it, she stumbled back and fell on her butt. She tried to stand up, but on the glossy hardwood floor she could only slide herself back and he stood over her.

"You better watch yourself, missy. Or else I'll, have to give you your medicine! I'll have to correct you!" His voice was guttural, and it didn't even sound like him anymore. Just when she thought he would hit her, he stalked off down the hall.

Violet collapsed against the floor, breathing hard. She stared at the ceiling, so high above her, and prayed to the being beyond that ceiling that they would all make it out alive.


	3. Chapter 3

Hi everyone, chapter 4!

Violet Torrance was aimlessly flinging darts at the dartboard in the gaming room when she heard a squeal. She jumped up and ran into the hall, panicking. Danny was down the hall running to her screaming and crying.

"Danny, what is it? What's wrong, D, you have to tell me! Are you hurt?" He leapt onto her and fisted his hands in her cotton skirt and cried into it. She put her arms around him and squatted down. "What's wrong, sweet?"

"It was her in the hotel room, Vi! Room 237, but Dick said- Dick said there was nothing in there and there was! She grabbed me! It was so scary and she looked so mean."

Violet looked at his neck in shock and saw the angry red marks that had been left there. She clutched him to her more tightly now and rocked him on his feet back and forth, muttering sweet nothings as he cried.

Finally she pulled him back, wiped the tears from his cheeks and looked him in the eye. "Okay, Doc, I'm gonna go find mum or dad and they're gonna go find this woman, okay? Do you wanna come with me or do you wanna have a wee rest?" He shook his head and clenched his fists on her skirt tighter. "Okay, that's fine, buddy, why don't you tell me what she looked like?" Even as she said it, she saw a flash of a bathroom, like a scene spliced into a movie. She gasped as the images continues, faster now. A lady in the tub, naked and decaying. Her eyes flashing open and glaring right at Violet. No, not Violet, this was Danny. Danny was showing her. Danny was shining. The lady pulling herself out of the tub and lurching towards Danny with fingers furled into claws, Soggy breasts swaying against her mouldy stomach, she leans forward and grips onto his throat and- "that's enough, Danny, please, that's enough!" Violet cried out as the image finally cleared and she could see Danny's face, white with remembering. They were both leaking silent tears.

She lifted him up and paced down the halls until she came up to the big hall where Dad did his typing. He was there, like always, but Mom was there too, beside him, soothing him like she did to Danny after a nightmare. Like she never did to Violet.

"Mom, Dad! Danny's been hurt! There's a woman in the hotel and she strangled him!" Violet's voice was breaking with desperation. Wendy rushed over as Dad stayed, dazed. Wendy pulled Danny from Violet's arms, and after a soft grunt of resistance, Danny curled into her, too.

Violet felt empty without Danny in her arms, and since Wendy could clearly handle things on her own, Vi walked over to her dad, who still sat silent in the chair. She leaned against the table next to him and tilted her head. "Dad, what's up?"

"Nightmare. That's all, Vi. It's not real, I wouldn't never hurt you."

"Okay Dad, I believe you, it's fine. You're okay now." She silently debated asking him about the typewriter. He seemed docile, defeated, and surely now would be the time to ask. "Maybe you could get your mind off it and teach me how to work your typewriter. I could help you, even, when you're coming up with your play! It would be really cool, Dad, I know-"

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Frightened by the outburst, Vi jumped back, banging her hip bone on the table. She whimpered involuntarily. Suddenly, silence fell. Wendy was looking over at them, face paler than Danny's, which was clutched between Wendy's hands, blocking his ears in case any more vulgarity was spoken.

"Hon?" Wendy tried, voice barely carrying through the thick belt of silence.

Jack looked up at her and grinned. "What's happenin', sweet cheeks?"

Violet was frozen like a deer in headlights. Her senses slowly came back to her and she went to sidle away from her dad. She was almost out of the woods, and she turned to leave when a hand shot out and clamped on her wrist, tugging her back.

She lost her balance and almost fell, but caught herself before she tumbled into his lap. He was glaring at her. His mouth lifted in a snarl and she could see his top front teeth. Everything was quiet behind her and she wanted to snatch a glance but she was too frightened to move. Her lip wobbled infinitesimally and she sucked it into her mouth before she cried. Somewhere in the background Wendy cried out and Danny was calling her name. Her knees were on the verge of buckling but she couldn't even bring herself to shift a little.

Wendy was shouting questions and accusations but they weren't translating in her brain.

Finally Jack pulled his gaze from her and looked behind her at Wendy. "Oh, honey, don'tcha think this little bitch of a daughter we have deserves a lesson? Don'tcha think she should be given her medicine? 'Cause I sure do! Don't mind me hon, I'll take the girl here and show her just how good girls should behave and I pinky promise I'll be up before dinner! Sound good, baby?" He dragged the chair back, stood up painstakingly slowly, and all of a sudden stomped off with Violet getting tugged along too.

"Mom! Please, mom! Danny! Help me, Danny!" She screamed wildly before Jack tugged her around the corner.

He was muttering about medicine and lessons and Violet couldn't make any sense of it through her blurry eyes and fuzzy ears. He threw her down onto the carpet and started kicking her on the stomach, the back, her chest and eventually he sat down on her and hit her in the face. His wedding ring caught on her lip and scratched her face. Her arms flailed out and she screamed even louder. She blocked her face from the next blow but it never came. Timidly, she opened her eyes to see her dad grabbing his head and moaning. He shook it and slammed his temples and eventually he fell over off her, unconscious.

She took deep breaths and propped herself up on weak elbows. Danny stood in front of her fists clenched, eyebrows furrowed, and a drip of blood coming out of his nose. Once he saw that his dad was knocked out, he ran over and fell on top of Violet, hugging her tightly.

Violet started crying. But it wasn't the pain, no. It wasn't even the overwhelming surge of love she had for Danny in that moment. What made her cry was the sight of her own mother, standing at the doorway, looking disappointed that Danny had saved her.

Hope you like it, please review for more :)


	4. Chapter 4

Violet Torrance stared at herself in the mirror and wondered where the hell her family went wrong. She had dried blood smeared on her face, hair in strings sticking on her temples and crusting. Bruises were beginning to colour her body and she was cradling her hand against her chest as it swelled.

The hotel was silent.

She assumed her mom was tending to her dad but how? Was she fawning over him in bed, unable to leave or hurt him, just like all those years that came before? Or was she dragging him through the snow, and shutting the entrance door on him

(like the cold bitch she is)

as the ice ate away at his body? Suddenly a sob broke through her thoughts. It was her own.

Tried she might, the floodgates had opened, and that little sob was drowned in wailing and gurgling on her own tears. The salty drops stung her torn up face and swirled around her chin, turning pink with blood before dropping in the sink.

She cried and cried until only dry, silent heaves came out. Slowly she calmed down, taking deep breaths and wiping down her dirty face with the backs of her dirty hands.

(Room 237)

In a daze, she stumbled out of the bathroom, knocking things over and whacking her elbow on the door jamb as she rushed out of the suite and down the hallway.

The geometric carpet fell beneath her feet and the nausea carried her momentum forward; she felt that she would be sick if she ever stopped.

(Room 237)

She passed the Gold Room, she passed the big lobby with Dad's abandoned typewriter, she trawled up the stairs, nails scraping the bannister. Step after step, she was barely moving yet she was nearly running and the walls were moving too fast and she didn't know where she was and soon she would-

Room 237.

She was frozen. Room 237. The gold numbers didn't seem real, and her numbing fingers stretched the gap and brushed them. The metal was cold and sharp, and the sudden onset of feelings hit her. She was catching up with reality all too fast and she almost fell forward with dizziness.

She leant against the shut door and

(but the shut door opened because the shut door it wasn't shut but why wasn't it shut because all the rooms are shut and so should this one so I don't understand but I should go in and look inside is the woman here I bet she is oh I bet she's here ready to strangle me so I am the one who opened the door I)

opened it. Violet stood in front of the bathroom door of the suite. She didn't recall walking over but here she was. She shook her head to clear it and focussed on Danny. Danny was strangled here! She couldn't let herself be distracted.

The door creaked and slowly swung open. Violet tilted her head. She wasn't even touching the door.

The door was open. Her hand was on the doorknob and she did open it. A rising sensation of dread unfurled in her stomach. She wanted to leave. She felt a viscous liquid tickling her upper lip and she didn't know

(or care)

whether it was mucous or blood. It was too late to give it much thought because she saw a shadow behind the shower curtain that covered the bath. With a spike of fear in her chest she realised

(why this looks so damn fucking familiar because)

this was the vision Danny showed her and now it was real

(it was always real, you saw the marks on his neck)

and it was happening to her. She wanted to run but when she moved her feet went only forward. Her arm pulled back the curtain and there she was, rotting in the stagnant water.

The woman of 237. Everything happened just as Danny showed her and it was happening in fast forward.

She couldn't move fast enough backwards; she bumped into walls and pinwheeled her arms to keep herself upright and at last she reached the door to the hallway.

She left it open

(did you?)

but now it was shut and those dripping, decaying hands were inches from her throat. She fumbled with the handle and opened-

Fuck. The door opened in. She couldn't open it pressed against it like she was. Droplets fell onto her top and ran down between her breasts as those fishy hands closed around her neck and squeezed.

With an almighty hit of adrenaline she kicked the woman back off her and while the lady tried to get up again she whirled open the door and shut it behind her.

Ten minutes later, Violet was in the same hallway, slid down against a wall watching the door handle of room 237. Waiting for any sign of movement.

"Violet! Danny! Wendy, baby, please!" It was her dad. His voice was cracking with desperation and Violet couldn't sit there while he was crying out like that. God knows what her mother did to him.

Flashes of images, each worse than the last, ran through her mind as she ran down the hallway. She followed his voice out to the kitchen, and it led her to the pantry. The massive metal door was chained shut and he yelled from behind it.

For a while she held back by the butchers block in the middle of the room, not wanting to get too close. She was silent, listening to him shout, trying to work out if he was in pain.

She walked forward eventually, and as soon as she got to the door, all went quiet.

"Violet?" Her eyes widened. She hadn't made a single noise; how did he know it was her, or even that anyone was there? "Violet, I'm sorry, okay. Let me out and I'll apologise properly. I didn't mean what I said or did, you know that, sweetie! Don't you? I'd never hurt you, Vi, Daddy just got a little angry, that's all. How about you let me out?"

She took a deep breath. He didn't sound hurt, and usually when he lashed out it took him longer than this to calm down. There was plenty of food in there, so it probably didn't hurt him to stay in there longer. "I can't, Dad. I'm sorry. You know I love you, Dad, but what you did was really bad and I think you need some time out for now. Sorry," she added. It broke her heart leaving him here, but she had to walk away.

"Baby?" She froze. It sounded like he was crying and in pain. She turned back to him. "When your mother dragged me here I think she dislocated my shoulder. I'm in a lotta hurt and I think I need to see a doctor. Come on, Vi, for me?"

"I'm leaving, Dad. I'll talk to mom and ask. Goodbye." Violet sniffed, and she made heavy steps away from the door, but stopped at the entranceway. She heard him muttering to himself.

"Stupid little bitch … I know, I need to teach her a lesson … I will … Yes, I will, I promise, Grady…" He kept mumbling. Who was Grady? She didn't hear anyone else in there replying to him.

(He's finally going crazy and you know it)

With a final, decisive shake of her head, she quietly left the kitchen in search of Wendy.


	5. Chapter 5

Wendy was sitting down with Danny, going over his reading primers when Violet finally found her.

"Look, Dick, look," Danny read, sounding out the letters. Each time he read a sentence he craned his head up to Wendy to see if he was right. After a nod and a smile, he'd turn the page and keep going.

"Mom? Can I speak to you, maybe in private?" Wendy looked up at her and nodded warily. She shuffled Danny off her lap and muttered something in his ear before following Violet out the door.

"Yeah, hon?"

"Mom, what's going on with Dad?"

Wendy looked taken aback. She opened her mouth to speak, and closed it again. She shrugged. "I really don't know. I guess this isolation, this hotel, it's just gotten to him. He was always a little off his rocker, Vi, but this must've been the straw that broke the camel's back."

Violet cocked her head; why did she seem so calm? She thought the words over and nodded to herself. Wendy took that as encouragement to leave, but as she was turning away, Violet spoke up. "Mom, I'm scared. Really scared. I've- I've seen things. Things that just aren't right. Something's not adding up here, and I think we should leave, mom." She looked at Wendy, eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Something like recognition glowed in Wendy's eyes. She'd seen things, too. She just shrugged again and mumbled something too quiet to catch. She left before Violet asked any more questions.

Violet needed air. Her breath wasn't filling her lungs and she felt sick. Her own mother had seen things unnatural, supernatural even, and she was just ignoring it. She was ignoring her husband, she was ignoring the safety of her firstborn, and she just holed herself up with her favourite child.

She half walked half stumbled towards the lobby, meaning to go outside for some fresh air, and get away from the hotel. She felt abandoned and confused. This heavy feeling of dread that had been lingering in her stomach for days now finally burst and she managed to run outside before she threw up.

The vomit sunk down through the snow on the cement outside the hotel. The sight was almost enough to empty her stomach again, but she held back. The snow was thinnest right up by the door, but it looked at least three feet high in places.

She stumbled through the car park around to the left side, where there was a path of footsteps to and from the playground. It hadn't snowed it days, but the air was so cold nothing had even started to melt.

Around the path were relatively lifelike topiary animals. There was a buffalo, facing the roque court further to the left of the Overlook, three lions on the right side of the path, a dog upright, as if it was begging for a treat,and a rabbit crouching on its hind legs, nose in the air.

There were a few twigs and small branches sticking out of them; Jack had seemed to abandon his duties as a caretaker, instead focussing on the play. That is, before he was knocked out and put in the pantry.

Violet trudged through the snow, creating a new set of footprints beside all of the old ones Danny had made. She reached the playground and hopped up onto the gravel platform where all the structures were. Most of the snow here was sludgy from Danny running all over it.

She sat on a damp swing seat and started swinging her feet. From here she could look out away from the Overlook and into the mountains. It was easier to pretend she was somewhere else, that nothing in the past few weeks were actually real. The sun was behind a cloud in the sky, but still lighting the mountains up like daytime. Violet probably had about three hours before sunset.

A branch snapped behind her, and she skidded her feet on the wet gravel to stop her swinging. She hopped out of the swing and turned around to face Danny, or maybe even Wendy.

There was no one there. It was just her, the playground, and the shitty animal topiaries.

Then why did she feel so uncomfortable?

(oh please you're going crazy that's why)

Something wasn't right. The crisp air cut through her sleeves and raised goosebumps on her skin. She felt the pulse in her neck throb faster.

(calm down there's nobody here, unless you count hedge animals that need a serious trim, and if you do you're-

The topiary animals. The breath rushed out of her lungs and her mouth went dry. They were perfectly trimmed. They looked so fucking real. That wasn't the real problem though.

The buffalo had turned to face her. His head was down, horns ready to charge. The rabbit was lying on the ground, as if it were about to spring at her. The dog that was once begging for treats was now on all fours, crouching and looking at her. The once vaguely dog-shaped hedge was now clearly a German Shepard. A dog you could train to kill. But the lions.

The three lions were sprawled over the path. It looked like they were guarding

(blocking)

the path. As she frantically looked at them all, she noticed something even more unnerving.

There were no trails in the snow. No gouges, no footprints, nothing. As if they were always like that.

She couldn't breath. It seemed darker now. She should've had hours more daylight, but the shadows of the playground were long and narrow and it seemed more like dusk.

Violet turned back to the mountains. They were barely even edged in light anymore. Most of the valleys were pitch black and the whole airspace was in darkness. She didn't understand. This wasn't right. She turned towards the hotel so she could go back inside and-

They were closer. One of the lions had a paw on the edge of the gravel, it's twig claws sharper than a knife. All of the other animals were lining up around the playground path so she had no way out. It felt like some crazy game of red light, where you'd try and sneak up to someone without them seeing, and if they turned around you'd have to freeze.

Except there was something impossible about this version. She couldn't see them all at once. The idea was that the animals would only move when she wasn't looking, but they were so big and spread out that she had to keep flicking her eyes back and forth. Every time she looked to the right, the animals on the left crept forward, and so for the left. They were all edging towards her, ready to attack. Tears were springing to her eyes but a Violet had to fight them for fear of blurring her vision even more. Her breath was coming in shallow gasps and her hands were shaking. She wondered what they'd sound like when they finally caught her. If the noise would sound like a hedge, or like the animal it looked like.

The stress was too much.

With a cry, Violet flung herself down on the wet gravel and closed her fists over her ears. She clenched her eyes shut and screamed. Who she was screaming for, she didn't know, but she screamed anyway. Maybe to block out the noise of them coming closer, and closer, and closer until-

When her breath ran out the world fell into muted silence. There was no scratch of gravel, no growling or huffing, and she couldn't feel their shadows on her. Violet chanced a look up and froze.

There was a buffalo, facing the roque court further to the left of the Overlook, three lions on the right side of the path, a dog upright, as if it was begging for a treat,and a rabbit crouching on its hind legs, nose in the air.

It was all back to normal. Keeping her eyes on the animals, she pulled herself up, wiped her jeans which now had wet patches on the knees, and ran down the snow covered path, turning to the animals, and running backwards to the front door.

_Hi everyone (by everyone I mean like the two people that actually read it) sorry this is a shortie. I'm thinking I might quickly go through my first few chapters and change the point of view to this one. The reason the point of views are so mucked up is that there was a multiple month break between the first two or three chapters and my later ones, so I forgot what point of view I did it in._

_Stupid mistake, I know, but ah well._

_also, quick question, what would be the ideal (and realistic) update rate? And do you think I should make longer chapters? _

_I usually end the chapters where I do because that's where the scene sort of ends, and I'd have to write in a whole extra scene to make it any longer. Which I can do, for sure, but then I'd have to come up with some more content._

_and how is the ratio of new content to original movie and book content? I try to make extra scenes as well as original scenes with Violet in them. Do you think I should do more of either?_

_(ps, in this story there is both the topiaries from the book AND the movie maze. The topiaries are on the left of the overlook by the playground, and the maze is on the right side.)_


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